Localize your open source documentation: a Kubernetes case study

on YouTube ↗26m

" summary

Kubernetes documentation scales localization from zero to eleven localizations in six months by using concrete tools and rules: Hugo + Netlify + Python scripts for preview builds and diff tracking, canonical source = English on main, reviewers must have native fluency, and authors cannot self-approve. Permissions use long‑running repo branches and language labels via GitHub actions. Outcome: six Korean contributors sustain a one‑to‑many support ratio serving 30,123 Korean visitors (2.1% of traffic) in March 2022, showing the approach works.

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" chapters (10)

1. 0:00Intro
2. 4:07Localization requires maintenance. Choose your maintenance wisely.
3. 8:05Establish a canonical source language and branch.
4. 9:25Establish an MVD: minimum viable documentation
5. 10:17Script away common functions.
6. 11:45Use tools that support internationalization.
7. 14:40Who can approve root-level changes to configuration files?
8. 17:35Treat localization with the same trust as any release branch.
9. 18:14Document everything
10. 22:26Is localization worth it?

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